Python: Evenly space output data with varying string lengths

Question

I am trying to get my output data to look like this:

-------------------------------------------------------
            Grade Report for Programs 
---------         


        

Answer 1

Use string formatting with field width specifiers:

print('{:20s} {:4.1f} <--- {}'.format(name_last_first, average, grades))

This uses the str.format() method with the Format String Syntax to slot values into a template.

The first slot formats strings into a field 20 characters wide, the second slots floating point numbers into a field 4 characters wide, using 1 digit after the decimal point (leaving 1 for the decimal point itself plus 2 digits before the point).

If I were you, I'd also look at the csv module to read your data, rather than use string manipulations. You'll get list objects with separate values for each column:

import csv

print('---------------------------------------------------------')
print('\t\tGrade Report for Programs')
print('---------------------------------------------------------')

with open(file, 'r', newline='') as grade_file:
    reader = csv.reader(grade_file)
    for row in reader:
        name = row[0]
        name = ' '.join(map(str.strip, reversed(name.split(',')))
        grades = [int(g) for g in row[1:])
        average = sum(grades) / len(grades)            
        print('{:20s} {:4.1f} <--- {}'.format(name, average, ','.join(grades)))

print('---------------------------------------------------------')